The force

Mahoney whips his neighborhoods in shape with new citizen patrol

Taking one of the first shifts last Friday night,
Mahoney drove through neighborhoods that have been identified as problem
areas, including sections of Spring Street, College Street, and Iles Park.
In one instance, he says, a group of teens between the ages of 12 and 14
were riding their bicycles down the middle of Ninth Street. When they saw
his car — with its blue-and-red "Neighborhood Watch: We Call
Police" magnet on the side — they went back up into their
yards.

That's the point, he says — to remind
people that they're being watched and to possibly deter them from
causing further problems in the area. The Ward 6 citizen patrol —
initiated by Mahoney last week — puts pairs of concerned residents on
the streets from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. to document everything from overflowing
garbage and unkempt yards to possible drug houses and crimes.

Mahoney admits that there is some element of danger,
because the patrol is clearly marked and visible, but stresses that the
initiative is only a "watch," not a surveillance operation. He
advises citizens to stay in their cars and to call police if they see
something out of the ordinary. Mahoney also says he uses his discretion
when signing up volunteers for the patrol — if they seem to have
questionable motives, he'll run their names by the police department.

Enos Park's neighborhood association has been
operating a similar program for the past few years, and executive director
Marilyn Piland says it's been a huge success. Residents are not
discouraged from getting involved in certain situations, she says, but it
has never been an issue.

"We have a couple of guys who have no fear at
all, and they'll walk up to anyone and do anything that's
necessary for the situation," Piland says. "Most of us
don't do that; most of us just call the police.

"It's very effective."

Bill Castor, president of the Vinegar Hill
Neighborhood Association, has been aware of the Enos Park program for some
time and agrees that the Ward 6 citizen patrol could make a difference. He
says his association has been trying to initiate change in the neighborhood
for nearly 10 years and a citizen patrol might help.

"We need to have better law enforcement and a
sense of community so people watch out for their neighbors and know
what's going on in the neighborhood," Castor says.

Mahoney says he's disappointed with the
city's lack of attention to his ward's older areas and hopes
that "more eyes and ears on the streets" will encourage
additional assistance with crime, housing issues, and infrastructure needs.

"It just comes down to giving citizens a way to
be more proactive in dealing with problems," he says.a